Dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

146 ASTRONOIH IA. ASTRONOMIA.
which, as we are assured in the commentary which services, he first drew up a regular catalogue of
bears the name of Hipparchus, does little more than the fixed stars, pointing out their position and
represent in verse, with very few variations, the magnitude, he first delineated accurately the shape
matter contained in the two treatises namned above, of the constellations, and he first discovered the
especially in the latter. The great popularity en- precession of the equinoxes by comparing his own
joyed by the production of Aratus (Cznas sole et observations with those of Timocharis and Aris:Iscna semsper? Aratuls erit) must have depended upon tyllus. It is much to be lamented that all the
the attractions presented by his theme, and cer- works of so great a man should have perished,
tainly not upon the spirit or grace with which that with the exception of a commentary in three books
theme was handled. We know the names of upon the description of the fixed stars by Eudoxus
thirty-five Greeks who composed commentaries and Aratus ('E' -0ysls Ts'ApdTov scal EvSdsov
upon it, and we are acquainted with no less than aatrou'eo'w), the least valuable perhaps of all his
three translations into Latin verse-one by Cicero, productions. We have, however, every reason to
of which fragments only remain; another by Caesar believe that the substance of his most valuable obGermanicus, of which a considerable portion has servations has been preserved in the Almagest of
been preserved; and a third by Rufus Festus Ptolemy, which long enjoyed such high fame that all
Avienus, which is entire. Virgil borrowed largely former authors were allowed to sink into oblivion.
from this source in those portions of his Georgics The catalogue of the fixed stars by Ptolemy
which contain references to the heavenly bodies, (fl. A. D. 100), contained in the seventh and eighth
and particularly in that section which is devoted books of the Almagest and derived in all proto prognostics of the weather. There are also bability in a great measure from that compiled by
valuable Greek scholia ascribed to the younger Iipparchus, long served as the model for all subTheon, but manifestly compounded of materials sequent labours in the same field, and little more
derived from many different quarters. The work than two centuries have elapsed since any attempt
itself is divided into three parts: was made to supersede it by something more per1. A description of the constellations, extending fect. It embraces 48 constellations (21 northern,
to line 454. 15 southern, and the 12 signs of the zodiac), com2. A short account of the Planets, of the Milky prising 15 stars of the first magnitude, 45 of the
Way, of the Tropical Circles, and of the Equator, second, 208 of the third, 474 of the fourth, 2i 7
followed from v. 559 by a full detail of the stars of the fifth, 49 of the sixth, 9 obscure, and 5
which rise and set as each sign of the zodiac ap- nebulous, in all 1022. These are the constel!apears in succession (uvvavataoAa). tions, usually denominated the Old C'onstellations,
3. At line 733 commences what is frequently to distinguish them from the additions made in
regarded as a separate poem, and placed apart modern times, and these we shall consider in re-,ulder the title Atoon7me-e, consisting of a collection gular order. The stars are enumerated according
of the various appearances which enable an ob- to the place which they occupy in the figures, the
server of nature to predict the weather. It will latitude, longitude, and magnitude of each beinsg
be seen below that the constellations described by specified. In connection with many constellations,
Aratus still retain, with a few variations, the names several stars are mentioned as &tUopPtrorl, that is,
by which he distinguishes them. Inot included within the limits of any one of the
In a little tract ascribed to Eratosthenes (fl. B. c. figures; among those near the Lion he notices the
230), entitled KaeraaerepLtlo;, probably aln abridg- flair of Berenice, among those near the Eagle the
ment of a more complete treatise, in which he Antztnouis. The.single stars and small groups to
details the mythological origin of the constellations, which particular names are assigned, are, A returzs,
together with the number and place of the sta s in the Lyre, Capella, the Iids, the Eagle, the HIyades,
each, we finld the same forms arranged in the same the Pleiades, the Maonger-, the Asses, Regulus
order as in Aratus, who is followed step by step. (,aertsAcrlicos), Vin2demiatrix, Slpica, Antares, the
The Bird, however, is here termed the Szcan; the Hounted (he does not give the name Sirius), Canopus,
(Centaczr is individualised into Csliron; and the and Procyon.
Hair of Berenice appears for the first time, having Among our Greek authorities we must not pass
been introduced by Conon in honour of the sister- over Geminus, whose work EZiaasywyo ers ra&
wife of Ptolemy Euergetes. eat'dsueva contains in sixteen chapters an exposiScientific astronomy commenced at Alexandria tion of the most striking facts in Astronomy and
in the early part of the third century before our Mathematical Geography. We know nothing of
era; and the first steps were made by Timocharis him personally; but it has been inferred from his
and Aristyllus, who flourished about B. c. 290. book that he was a native of Rhodes, and that he
They invented the method of determining the flourished about;. c. 70, at Rome, or at some
places of the fixed stars, by referring them to one place under the same parallel. The second chapter
of the great circles of the heavens, and for this treats of the constellations and of those stars and
purpose selected the equator. By them, as we small clusters distinguished by particular names.
learn from Ptolemy, the right ascension and de- The Cosma Berenices, which is not included in the
clination of many stars were observed, among 21 northern constellations of Ptolemy, has here
others of Spica in the Virgin, which they found an independent place assigned to it; the Foal, or
to be 80 from the equinox of autumn. Little Horse, is termed 7rpos0out iTrrod KaO' ITrHipparchus, about 150 years later, followed up 7rapxov, which seems to indicate that it was inthe track which they had indicated: his observ- troduced by Hipparchus; in addition to the 5
ations extended from B. c. 162 to B. C. 127; and, Southern Constellations of Ptolemy, we find the
whether we regard the originality, the magnitude, Streasiz (XdvOcs v['aTos) issuing from the umn ui
or the importance of his labours, he is well entitled Aquarius, and the Thyr-sus of the Centaur. The
to be regarded as the father of the science. (See sixteenth chapter is particularly interesting and
Plin. H. N. ii. 26.) In addition to many other valuable, since it contains a parapegmna or calendar